Organization and function of primate auditory cortex [ 2005 - 2007 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Matthew Spitzer (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Dexter Irvine ,  Prof Marcello Rosa

Brief description The conscious perception of speech and other sounds depends on processing within a brain region known as the auditory cortex. Compared to other brain areas, relatively little is known about the organization and function of this structure. Recent studies have proposed that the auditory cortex may be anatomically subdivided into functional modules, each of which is specialized for processing different types of information. However, the evidence for multiple processing streams is fragmentary, and not entirely consistent. The proposed experiments will combine anatomical and physiological approaches to evaluate the functional organization of auditory cortex in the primate brain. We will map the electrical responses of single brain cells to various complex sounds across the brain surface, and inject dyes to label pathways linking brain areas to one another. The data will allow us to determine whether specific subdivisions of the auditory cortex are specialized for processing different types of infomation, and whether specific subdivisions are linked together to form processing streams specialized for sound recognition and space perception. The results will advance our understanding of the neuronal processing involved in the perception of sound, with possible implications for speech perception. This will help to understand the consequences of brain damage, and may inform the development of hearing aids and artificial voice recognition systems. In addition, this study will help to develop a primate model for studying brain mechanisms of sound recognition that should be useful in research on cochlear implants.

Funding Amount $AUD 271,671.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant